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Apopka leaders question $10M spent on outdated wastewater plant while new one built

By Shannon Butler, WFTV.com and James Tutten
By Shannon Butler, WFTV.com and James Tutten

APOPKA, Fla. — A total of $65 million. That is what the city of Apopka paid for upgrades to the city's existing wastewater treatment plant while at the same time building a new one.

And after following the problems at this plant for years, 9 Investigates found to the city's decision to upgrage the old plant and build a new one cost taxpayers millions of dollars more then necessary.

But that isn't the biggest issue.

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The mayor now says the city doesn't need two wastewater plants. So after all this money was spent, the city will shut one down.

The wastewater plant was old, rundown and as of next month was expected to be at capacity.

The city of Apopka decided years ago to upgrade it and also build a new one.

The new plant was the bulk of the over -- $60 million project. But the upgrades on the old plant still cost more than $10 million.

The state gave the city $3 million toward repairs, but that was a drop in the bucket on total cost.

Mayor Bryan Nelson, who was not here when the contract was signed and was elected less than a year before the entire project was complete, said it was too late to stop it.

But what he said he found is that the calculations the city staff was looking at were old and the city didn't even bother to update the usage numbers before making the decision to double the cost and double the facilities.

Nelson said maybe in five years or so they might need the plant, but that's if the city grows quickly.

The interest on that huge loan is low and Nelson said he has cut some big salaries to try and not raise water rates of the city's customers to pay it back.

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